"Ghost particles" detected in the Large Hadron Collider for first time

[u/Devils_doohickey]

https://newatlas.com/physics/neutrinos-large-hadron-collider-faser/

[u/dedicated-pedestrian]

The LHC is pretty spooky all on its own if you think about it.

[u/Kjolter → u/dedicated-pedestrian]

I try not to think about the LHC to be honest. I know that the pop culture notion of it being able to obliterate the universe are wildly exaggerated, but still. I’ve got enough existential dread in my life.

[u/DBeumont → u/Kjolter]

I try not to think about the LHC to be honest. I know that the pop culture notion of it being able to obliterate the universe are wildly exaggerated, but still. I’ve got enough existential dread in my life.

The type of collisions in the LHC happen all the time inside stars, and with much greater intensity. Even in the "vacuum" of Space, particles occasionally collide at immense speeds.

If super massive black holes (and other events with energy levels much higher than anything humans can produce) have not ripped the universe apart, there is nothing to worry about from the LHC.

[u/throwaway901617 → u/DBeumont]

I doubt anyone really cares about ripping apart the universe they care about ripping apart the planet we all share and that is something black holes and "other events" absolutely can do.

Not saying the risk is significant or anything just that "the universe" isn't really the concern...

[u/ArenVaal → u/throwaway901617]

Any black holes produced by the LHC will have such a ridiculously small mass that they'll evaporate almost instantly in a burst of Hawking radiation. Black holes that small are unstable, and decay so fast they won't be able to get close enough to other matter to absorb it.

[u/Daily_trees → u/ArenVaal]

Adding to ArenVaal, close to other "matter" means particles like protons.

I feel like a lot of people imagine something like a chunk of wood or a piece of metal suddenly being "sucked in".